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Button Bands & Buttonholes

Live life on the edge with designer and lifelong knitter Anne Hanson as she teaches you how to incorporate beautiful finishes on your hand-knit garments.

Upgrade your knitting skills from pullovers to cardigans with designer Anne’s help. Learn to knit perfect button bands and create sublime buttonholes. Understand how button choices affect the look and use of your sweater. Anne, a lifelong knitter who practices the fine art of finishing, will guide you through the calculation for picking up stitches and help you execute beautiful bind-offs.

Lesson plan

Lesson 1. Planning & Preparation

Get started creating button bands! Prepare and plan how you'd like to use your buttons!

24:36

Lesson 2. Calculating the Pickup Ratio

Learn how to pick up stitches and calculate the pickup ratio you need to create even, extraordinary button bands!

14:33

Lesson 3. Working with Different Edges

Learn how to create different types of edges for a variety of looks.

25:55

Lesson 4. Working the Button Band

Learn how to bind off your button band and troubleshoot common problems.

21:44

Lesson 5. Choosing Buttons

Now that your button band is complete, learn about choosing buttons to make your garment stand out.

23:34

Lesson 6. Applying & Spacing Buttons

Learn how to space and attach your buttons!

27:43

Lesson 7. Buttonhole Bands

Learn how to make eyelet buttonholes, two-row buttonholes and one-row buttonholes.

5:33

Lesson 8. Incorporated Buttonhole Bands

Learn about buttonhole bands that are incorporated into your garment.

"This class gives a great review of things to consider in planning a buttonband. There are great tips, and lots of technical details that will make a difference in choosing buttons and the appropriate buttonhole. My only critique is sometimes the camera is not close enough to show the actual knitting, but this is rare. Anne's teaching style is very low key. I am an experienced sweater knitter, but am now excited to improve my buttonband skills!" - MimiFanOakland, CA

3000+ students have enrolled in this class

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Lesson plan

7:25

Lesson 1. Planning & Preparation

Get started creating button bands! Prepare and plan how you'd like to use your buttons!

24:36

Lesson 2. Calculating the Pickup Ratio

Learn how to pick up stitches and calculate the pickup ratio you need to create even, extraordinary button bands!

14:33

Lesson 3. Working with Different Edges

Learn how to create different types of edges for a variety of looks.

25:55

Lesson 4. Working the Button Band

Learn how to bind off your button band and troubleshoot common problems.

21:44

Lesson 5. Choosing Buttons

Now that your button band is complete, learn about choosing buttons to make your garment stand out.

23:34

Lesson 6. Applying & Spacing Buttons

Learn how to space and attach your buttons!

27:43

Lesson 7. Buttonhole Bands

Learn how to make eyelet buttonholes, two-row buttonholes and one-row buttonholes.

5:33

Lesson 8. Incorporated Buttonhole Bands

Learn about buttonhole bands that are incorporated into your garment.

The instructor

Anne Hanson, Instructor of Button Bands & Buttonholes

Anne Hanson is a lifelong knitter and the owner of Knitspot, a popular blog where she teaches and writes about knitting, spinning and design. Anne has been featured in respected magazines such as Knitty, The Knitter, Twist Collective, Sock Club and Brave New Knits. Currently she works in Ohio, where she dreamed up the popular indie yarn company, Bare Naked Wools.

Ratings & reviews

Class rating

(30 reviews)

Worthwhile class & great teacher!

by nlecour2677543 on July 15, 2015

Really enjoyed this class. Great tips and techniques. Loved the elastic method to space out buttons & button holes and which button hole technique works best.

Thank you!

Really enjoyed this class. Great tips and techniques. Loved the elastic method to space out buttons & button holes and which button hole technique works best.

Thank you!

Valuable Class, Excellent Instructor

by KnitOxford on June 12, 2015

I thought I knew how to add buttons & buttonholes, yet it always made me anxious. No more. Everything that Anne teaches us in this class seems essential to any knitter who wants to finish their garments as beautifully and lovingly as they have created their knitted fabric. Yet, I have never read this information in any pattern I have used! In addition, Anne Hanson is a gifted teacher. Her explanations are beautifully clear, her demeanor is reassuring and welcoming, her samples and ...

I thought I knew how to add buttons & buttonholes, yet it always made me anxious. No more. Everything that Anne teaches us in this class seems essential to any knitter who wants to finish their garments as beautifully and lovingly as they have created their knitted fabric. Yet, I have never read this information in any pattern I have used! In addition, Anne Hanson is a gifted teacher. Her explanations are beautifully clear, her demeanor is reassuring and welcoming, her samples and demonstrations are expertly presented, the camera work is great, and the class is thorough. I now feel like I can become an expert in adding (and even designing !) my button closures. (In fact, I have confidently re-designed the front of a beautiful sweater with a closure that meant I would never wear it -- and now I can't wait to sew on those buttons, and slip it on :o) I will use the information I learned in this class for the rest of my knitting career. Thank you Anne and Craftsy!

Just What I Needed

by janalex21258601 on May 17, 2015

This topic covers one of the most important aspects of making a jacket or cardigan. It is covered extensively when learning to sew, but is rarely mentioned in knitting patterns so i felt a bit perplexed when it came to finishing my knits. This is a very good short course in choosing buttons and fitting buttoned openings, and i enjoy watching it too.

This topic covers one of the most important aspects of making a jacket or cardigan. It is covered extensively when learning to sew, but is rarely mentioned in knitting patterns so i felt a bit perplexed when it came to finishing my knits. This is a very good short course in choosing buttons and fitting buttoned openings, and i enjoy watching it too.

Excellent class

by EddieB on May 4, 2015

This is the second of Anne's classes I've taken. They are informative and have lots of helpful information and ideas. I feel much more confident to get on with my button bands, holes and choosing buttons. Thanks, Anne.

This is the second of Anne's classes I've taken. They are informative and have lots of helpful information and ideas. I feel much more confident to get on with my button bands, holes and choosing buttons. Thanks, Anne.

Excellent Class

by Danemother on April 28, 2015

I learned so much from this class! Standout lessons for me covered calculating the right stitch count for picked-up bands and making one-row buttonholes. I couldn't be happier with the project I made incorporating these techniques, and this class will be my go-to reference for future cardigans. Thanks!

I learned so much from this class! Standout lessons for me covered calculating the right stitch count for picked-up bands and making one-row buttonholes. I couldn't be happier with the project I made incorporating these techniques, and this class will be my go-to reference for future cardigans. Thanks!